Ulsan Hyundai striker Kim Shin-wook, currently the leading scorer in the K League Classic, on Tuesday was shortlisted for the MVP honors in the nation’s top professional football league.
The league announced that Kim will go up against midfielder Ha Dae-sung of FC Seoul and midfielder Lee Myoung-joo of Pohang Steelers for the highest individual award in the competition.
Kim leads all K League Classic players with 19 goals, with two games remaining this season. Ulsan is in first place with 73 points, five ahead of Pohang. Both teams have two matches left and will face each other in the season finale on Sunday in Ulsan, about 410 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Lee was the Rookie of the Year in 2012 and hasn’t suffered any sophomore slump, netting seven goals and setting up four others in Pohang’s deep midfield.
Ha has captained FC Seoul, the 2012 K League Classic champ, to another solid campaign. The club sits in fourth place with 61 points and finished the runner-up to Guangzhou Evergrande in the AFC Champions League, the premier club tournament in the continent.
Head coaches of Ulsan, Pohang and FC Seoul are up for the Coach of the Year honors.
Kim Ho-gon is on the verge of winning the league championship with Ulsan, while Hwang Sun-hong has coached Pohang to back-to-back FA Cup without the benefit of a foreign player.
Choi Yong-soo is trying to win his second straight top coach award for FC Seoul.
The league will present the Young Player of the Year award for the first time, replacing the traditional Rookie of the Year. South Korean players aged 23 or younger are eligible. (Yonhap News)
